The GGFA Think Tank Panel of Experts is an elite group of industry experts that are recognized and respected for their service and expertise.
Each member of the Panel represents products and services that fill a specific niche. The purpose of the GGFA Think Tank Panel is to offer a platform that provides GGFA members with educational resources and access to expertise.
The Think Tank experts offer GGFA members an introductory consultation and are supporting GGFA educational initiatives such as the Webinar Program, The VoicE, and The Locker RooM throughout the year.
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Rick Caro ~ Industry Guru ~ Financial & Market Expert
Rick Caro is the President of Management Vision, Inc., a leading consulting firm specializing in the club industry. Management Vision is widely regarded for its feasibility studies, business plans, loan proposals, valuation of the worth of clubs, assistance in the buying and selling of clubs, operational analyses of existing clubs and financial acumen. Management Vision has experience with small and large-sized clubs, single activity and multi-sport facilities, suburban and urban sites, owned and leasehold properties and start-up and take-over business situations all over the U.S. and other countries.
Rick Caro was the previous Chairman of the Spectrum Clubs, Inc., a leading club ownership company with plans to consolidate that industry. After only 6 months, it became the 10th largest company in the U.S. with over $60 million of revenue and two major club clusters in Texas and California.
Rick Caro is a 39-year veteran of the club industry. He previously was the owner of an eight-club organization of multi-sport clubs in the Northeast U.S. which he successfully sold in 1983. Over the last six years, he has consulted to over 1,500 clubs. Mr. Caro was the Founder, Past President and Director of IHRSA (International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association), the trade association of over 9,750 clubs in over 78 countries. He is a frequent writer for various trade publications and the author of the book, Financial Management, targeted for the club industry. He is also a well known lecturer for the industry.
Casey Conrad ~ Sales & Marketing
Casey Conrad, BA, JD, has been in the health and fitness industry for 26 years. In addition to authoring "Selling Fitness: The Complete Guide to Selling Health Club Memberships," she has created and published over 25 other sales, marketing and management training products for the industry.
Most recently Casey has created an entire line of comprehensive training programs that are delivered on-line. These include membership sales, personal training sales and Internet marketing. She has spoken in 19 countries, is a feature presenter at conventions and trade shows worldwide and writes monthly for numerous international magazines.
Her website is www.CaseyConrad.com and she can be reached at Casey@CaseyConrad.com.
Robert Dennis ~ Site Selection & Lease Negotiation
Robert D. Dennis is CEO of Foundation Partners, a real estate brokerage and development firm. In his career, Mr. Dennis has negotiated over $5 billion dollars in leasehold obligations and developed over $500 million in new openings. He has managed 8.5 million square feet in real estate portfolios exceeding $100 million annual lease obligations and has been directly involved with the opening of over 500 fitness centers in the United States, Canada and Asia.
As a business and real estate broker, he has worked with numerous companies securing leases, assembling parcels of land for development, securing financing, entitling property and obtaining zoning modifications when necessary, leasing and lease reviews and the purchase and sale of various businesses. For more information, please visit: http://www.foundationpartnersllc.com/.
Sara Kooperman ~ Group Fitness ~ Fitness Education
Sara is a favorite Club Industry, Athletic Business Conference and IHRSA presenter, as
well as the Illinois State Business Woman of the Year.
As CEO of SCW Fitness Education and Les Mills Midwest, and the founder
of ATERinMOTION. Sara is also a licensed attorney, a Fitness Editor for Oxygen
Magazine, a former adjunct faculty member for the Cooper Institute for Aerobic
Research, ACSM and NASM. As part of the Gold's Gym Think Tank, Sara was
also recently inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame.
Dan McGraw ~ Strategic Planning ~ Organizational Development ~ Coaching
Management consultant Dan McGraw has been working with Gold's Gym organizations since 2005 in leadership development, team-building, management workshops and facilitating tactical and strategic planning.
Dan has more than forty years of business experience including serving as President of an international technology company, owner of a nationwide retail franchise and for 20 years served in management, marketing, sales and new business development for IBM.
Called "a master facilitator" by his clients, he is skilled at building strong teams, developing innovative solutions, and insightful analysis. As a motivational speaker, he uses enthusiasm and humor to drive home key concepts and affect change in his audience. As an executive coach, he brings focus and results to leaders, managers, teams and organizations. Dan's website is www.danmcgraw.com and he can be reached at dan@danmcgraw.com.
Bryan O'Rourke ~ Social Media ~ Technology
Bryan O'Rourke is a recognized strategist, technologist, entrepreneur and thought leader in the fitness industry. He has a track record of growing global brands, with expertise and experience as a financial deal maker and contract CEO. He now serves as executive co-founder and shareholder in a number of successful fitness industry companies including Fitmarc, Integerus, The Flywheel Group and The Health Club for Women.
Bryan is a frequent speaker and writer on trends in the fitness and health club industries including the application of technologies and social media. He serves as Chairman of the Medical Fitness Association's Education Committee and is a special advisor to Star Trac among several other leading global fitness and wellness organizations. To learn more visit www.bryankorourke.com.
Craig Shaddy ~ Insurance ~ Risk Management
Craig Shaddy, LUTCF, Program Director for Club Insurance, has been involved in Risk Management since 1989. Craig ‘s Insurance background has been focused primarily in the Property and Casualty, and the Financial Services Industry. He is involved in many of the Health and Fitness Organizations including the IHRSA, National Fitness Business Alliance, and Gold Gym Franchise Association.
Please visit www.clubinsurance.com for more information.
Jim Thomas ~ Gym Turnarounds ~ Troubleshooting
Jim Thomas is the well-known founder and president of Fitness Management USA, Inc., a management consulting and turnaround firm specializing in the fitness and health club industry. With over 25 years of experience owning, operating and managing clubs of all sizes, Mr. Thomas lectures and delivers seminars and workshops across the country on the practical skills required to successfully build teamwork and market fitness programs and products.
Since forming Fitness Management, Mr. Thomas has been turning health clubs around at an amazing rate and garnering a reputation as a producer of change...a sharp-eyed troubleshooter, a brilliant sales trainer, and a motivator. Fitness Management provides programs that show measurable results and Jim's team is proud of their ability to glean profit from every square foot of a client's investment. Jim's website is www.fmconsulting.net.
To learn more about Jim Thomas' Fitness Management and Consulting, please click on the YouTube screen shot:
To learn more about Jim Thomas' Sales Training Workshops, please click on the YouTube screen shot: